Very Slow boot when networking

On some XP Pro installations, when connected to a network (peer-peer in this case), the computer boot time is over 1:40. The system seems to freeze after logging in and the desktop may not appear or will freeze for a minute. As timed with the utility, Bootvis.exe, the problem was with the driver mrxsmb.dll, adding over 67 seconds to the boot time. Turning off and restoring file and printer sharing eliminated 65 seconds from the boot time.

1. Alt-click (or right click) on Network Places > Properties
2. Alt-click on Ethernet Adapter connection > properties
3. Un-check “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks” > OK
4. reboot
5. If you need file or printer sharing, repeat the above, re-check the box and re-boot again.

Ten tips to increase your Windows security

1-always protect your Administrator account by creating password, just go to Control Panel > User Accounts, select your account and the click on “create a password for your account”.

2-Protect your account by Password protect your screen saver, go to Control Panel > Display, Click on the Screen Saver tab and then check on resume password protect.

3- Setup a BIOS Password to protect your PC Setup application.

4- Always force you windows automatic update on, go to Control Panel > Automatic Updates and then Select the first option to have each update download and install automatically.

5- Install an Internet Security Suite such as “Kaspersky Internet Security”, “Norton Internet Security” or “Mcafee Internet Security”. And turn on software automatic update.

6- If you don’t have enough budgets to buy an Internet Security Suite, Turn on the Windows Firewall. Go to > Control Panel > Windows Firewall and click on under the General tab. And Install an antivirus program, turn on automatic updates, and set up a regular scanning schedule.

7- Never use same username and/or password for all of your accounts in Internet.

8- Turn off file sharing in Windows Explorer. Open Explorer, click Tools > Folder Options >View. Then Scroll to the bottom, uncheck Use simple file sharing, and click Apply.

9- Increase your Internet Explorer security settings. Click Tools > Internet Options> Privacy and move the slider to High.

10- Turn on your Internet Explorer’s pop-up blocker. Click Tools > Internet Options > Popup Blocker Settings > and then choose default.

Re-Enable the missing IE7 icon on your Vista desktop

One freaking thing which I really don't understand is that the IE7 Icon is defaulty disabled on the Vista desktop. Ok we can understand that MS wants us to start with a very clean system, so no desktop icons except for the recycle bin which you probably don't need for another week or two
Well what's more concerning is that you can't also set the Vista IE7 icon to appear on the desktop because MS removed it from the desktop icons settings. Really strange, but it possible to enable it quite simple...

For users with Longhorn start menu view:

1) Go to the registry editor and browse to the following reg key:[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]

2) Add a DWORD 32 bit String value named
{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D} with a value of 0 (dword:00000000)

After a refresh on the desktop (F5) you should see your long awaited Vista IE7 Icon back

For users with classic start menu view:

1) Go to the registry editor and browse to the following reg key:[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu]

2) Add a DWORD 32 bit String value named
{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D} with a value of 0 (dword:00000000)

After a refresh on the desktop (F5) you should see your long awaited Vista IE7 Icon back

Note:
String value named {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D} maybe already exists on target locations.
In this case you only need to change value from 1 to 0.

How to Avoid Rapidshare and Megaupload Download Limits and Wait Times

Rapidshare is one of the most frustrating websites to download large files off of, especially if they are broken into many pieces while Megaupload positively shines in comparison. So why do people keep using these two services when more generous file hosts like Mediafire exist?

I can only guess that it’s simply because so many other people are using them. In order to get free premium Rapidshare accounts, which let you download unlimited amounts of files, users upload their own files onto Rapidshare, hoping enough people download them in turn so that the uploaders can earn enough premium points to qualify for a free account.

But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You can get unlimited Rapidshare downloads more simply.

What you are going to do is request a new IP address from your ISP. This is assuming that you do not subscribe to an Internet service with fixed IP addresses.

First, figure out what your current IP address is by going to IP Chicken. Write down the series of numbers that are displayed. This is your current IP address.

Then, follow the steps below to get a new IP:

1. Go to Start->Run and type in “cmd” without quotes to bring up the command prompt. Hit Enter.

2. Type in “ipconfig /flushdns” without quotes and hit Enter.

3. Type in “ipconfig /release” without quotes and hit Enter.

4. Type in “ipconfig /renew” without quotes and hit Enter. You should now have a new IP address. Check your IP address at IP Chicken again and compare it to the one you got earlier.

5. Now, erase your browser’s cache and cookies.

6. Try downloading the Rapidshare or Megaupload file again.

L2 Cache memory registry setting for Windows Vista

This tweak will set the Vista registry to use your L2 cache memory which is embedded in your CPU.
Every CPU nowerday's has Level 1 cache memory and Level 2 cache memory which enables the core of the cpu to take pieces from the main DDR system memory and calculate with it, then store it back and so on, the size of your L2 cache can be set in the registry of Vista and for some reason it seems that Vista isn't doing this by default.

The registry key where Vista stores the size of your L2 cache is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

In here you will probably see a key called SecondLevelDataCache with a value of 0 which means that windows Vista didn't set the memory size of the L2 cache by itself.

You can set the amount of your CPU L2 Cache here for Vista to use.

File Type Associations in Vista

Anyone upgrading from XP to Vista may be wondering what happened to the file-type association menu option that used to be in the Windows Explorer. For example, say that *.TXT files are currently associated with NotePad as the default editor, but you want to change them to be associated with WordPad, Textpad, NotePad++, or whatever your favorite editor may be. In XP, such associations were managed via the Windows Explorer under Tools >> Folder Options… >> File Types.

In Vista, the UI for managing file associations, together with controls for a number of other functions including the AutoPlay options, have been centralized and relocated to the Windows Start menu. They can be found under the menu selection of “Default Programs” (which is an unfortunately ambiguous name, and should not be confused with Startup programs).

Speed up Detailed view in Explorer

If you like to view your files in Windows Explorer using the “Details” view here is a tweak to speed up the listing of file attributes:
Viewing files in Windows Explorer using the “Details” mode shows various attributes associated with each file shown. Some of these must be retrieved from the individual files when you click on the directory for viewing. For a directory with numerous and relatively large files (such as a folder in which one stores media, eg: *.mp3’s, *.avi’s etc.) Windows Explorer lags as it reads through each one. Here’s how to disable viewing of unwanted attributes and speed up file browsing:

1. Open Windows Explorer

2. Navigate to the folder which you wish to optimize.

3. In “Details” mode right click the bar at the top which displays the names of the attribute columns.

4. Uncheck any that are unwanted/unneeded.

Explorer will apply your preferences immediately, and longs lists of unnecessary attributes will not be displayed.
Likewise, one may choose to display any information which is regarded as needed, getting more out of Explorer.

Windows Defender, 0x80240029 Solution

- Go to Windows update.
- Click on change settings (on the left).
- Check "never check for updates."
- Remove any other checks (Recommended update and any other).
Then go back to Defender and run the Updates again.

Fix problems with USB DSL/Cable modems

Some usb dsl/cable modems may get disconnected after a little while. A possible reason that could cause this problem is that in windows xp there is an option that allows the computer to turn off a usb device to save power. To disable this option:

1) click start, highlight my computer, right click and select properties and a window will pop up with the system properties

2) click on the hardware tab and press the device manager button

3) expand the universal serial bus controllers

4) Double click on the USB Root Hub.

5)Select the Power Management tab and UNTICK the “allow the computer to turn off the device to save power”

If you have more than one USB Root Hub, then you should apply the steps to each one of them
That’s it, you won’t need to restart the computer!

Create a Ghost Folder in XP & Vista

There are endless ways to secure data stored on your PC but here’s a really simple little trick that hides a folder and its contents by making it completely invisible. It works best on sub folders (i.e. folders within a folder). To make a folder vanish you need to do two things, give it a name using a non-printing/displaying character then replace the standard folder icon with a blank one.
Start by opening Windows Explorer or My Computer, right click on the folder icon you want to hide and select rename. Press the Numlock key and press Alt + 0160 then OK and the name box should disappear. Next, right-click on the folder icon and select Properties, then the Customize tab then the Change Icon button at the bottom. You’ll find the blank icons about one click to the right on the bottom scroll bar; they’re the gaps between the normal icons. Select one then click OK. Your folder should now have disappeared so take care you don’t forget it where it is. A ghost image or flicking hyphen will appear when you hover your mouse over where the icon used to be and you can rename or delete it by right-clicking on it.

Change the volume of each individual application from your system tray

This is another one of those obvious Vista features that are extremely useful.

You can control the volume of each application individually right from your system tray.

All you have to do is click the volume icon in your system tray, and then click on Mixer at the bottom.

Turn off Indexing to speed up XP

Windows XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a whole lot of searches on your hard drive then I suggest turnning this feature off:

1. Control Panel

2. Administrative Tools

3. Services

4. Disable Indexing Services

How To Manually Clean Out The Temp Folder In Windows Vista

Manually cleaning out the Temp folder in Window Vista is often a necessary maintenance step when the Windows Vista Disk Cleanup utility fails to completely clean out the Temp folder.

Removing temporary files is a quick and easy task that can help save disk space and keep your PC clean of file clutter. Just follow the step by step directions below to manually clean out the Temp folder:

1. Click on Start, type the following command in the search box, and then hit the Enter key.

%temp%

This command will open the folder that Windows Vista has designated as the Temporary folder. These are folders and files that Windows needed at one time but are no longer useful. Everything in this folder is safe to delete.

2. To remove individual folders or files, hold down your Ctrl key while left-clicking on each item you want delete. Release the Ctrl key when you’re finished.

3. To delete these items, hit your Delete key or click the Organize button on the toolbar menu, followed by the Delete option.
You will probably be prompted to confirm that you wish to Delete Multiple Items. Click on Yes to confirm.

4. If you’d instead like to remove everything inside the Temp folder, click on the Organize button and then choose Select All from the menu.

Note:
If you’re prompted that there are hidden files in this folder, just click on OK to bypass the message. A few hidden files hanging out in the Temp folder probably aren’t important enough to worry about.

5. Again, to delete these items, hit your Delete key or click the Organize button on the toolbar menu, followed by the Delete option.
You will probably be prompted again to confirm that you wish to Delete Multiple Items. Click on Yes to confirm.

6. After all of the files have been deleted you can close the folder window and empty your Recycle Bin, permanently removing the files from your PC.

Tips:
You may receive a Error Deleting File or Folder message while the files are being deleted. This just means that one of the files is in use by a program right now. Click OK, close all open programs, and repeat the steps above. If you still receive the message, try restarting your PC and repeating the process again

Check Windows Vista Activation Status

Are you a user of Windows Vista Enterprise or Business edition and would like to know the status of activation of a specific computer? Want to make sure that the computer connected properly to the Key Management Server (KMS) or used your Multiple Activation Key (MAK) properly? Or are you a home user and just want to make sure your computer is fully activated?

Included in Windows Vista is very useful utility that will help you check the status of activation of your computer:

1. Click on the Start Button and key in CMD and hit Enter to start up Command Prompt.
2. At the prompt, type in "slmgr.vbs -dli" (Without quotes)
3. After a few seconds you will be presented with a pop-up message with your activation status.

Speed-Up Windows Vista's Start Menu Search

When you perform a search using the search box in the start panel, Windows Vista automatically searches the file index as well. The file index can be quite large because it includes all the files on your hard drive. One way to speed-up searching in your Start Menu applications is to narrow the scope of the search so that it does not include files on the hard drive:

Method 1: Registry Hack
1. Open registry editor using regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer and select Advanced.
3. Find and right-click on Start_SearchFiles and select Modify.
4. Set the Value to 0.
5. Restart the Explorer.exe process or reboot the computer.

Method 2: Start Button
1. Right-click on the Start Button and select Properties.
2. Click on the Customize button.
3. Uncheck Search Communications.
4. Set Search Files to Don't Search for files.
5. Click OK.

Smarter searches in Vista

When you enter a snippet of text in the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu, the results come from just about everywhere: programs, e-mail, files, even your browser history.

You can control which categories appear in Start menu searches using these settings in the Customize Start Menu dialog box (available from a link on the Appearance and Personalization group in Control Panel).

.

How To Fix Problems Copying and Moving Large Files In Windows Vista

Although Windows Vista is a major improvement over Windows XP, there is one particular bug that has really upset me which is how slowly it moves or deletes files. In Windows XP there were no problems moving big files. However, with Windows Vista if you move big files even on the same drive there is a long pause while it calculates how long it will take and the actual move takes forever, whereas on XP it is ‘instanteneous’.

Luckily, the How To Geek has discovered what the problem is and has come up with the solution for moving and copying large files in Vista. The problem is because of the new auto-tuning network. Once Vista’s auto-tuning network is turned off, then the issue of moving files goes away.

To Turn off Auto-Tuning:

1. press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to open the Command Prompt. Choose run as admintype in: netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

2. Reboot

If you have any problems, then to turn auto-tuning back on type the following in Command Prompt:

netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

Single Click Shutdown

Here’s the updated version of the popular shutdown shortcut for Windows XP. Just right-click onto an empty area of the desktop then select New then Shortcut from the menu that appears. Click the Browse button and navigate your way to: C:\Windows\System32\Shutdown.exe.

Click Next, give the shortcut a name and click Finish. Now right-click the new shortcut, select Properties and in the Target box, add the command line ‘switch’ -l (to log off), -s (to shut down) or -r (to reboot). A basic shutdown shortcut command line should look like this:

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -s

If you want to add a 3 second delay to the Shutdown then add the ‘-t xx’ switch, thus:

C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe -s -t 03

To avoid mistakes simply copy and paste the command into the Target box. Your can also add own your own comments or text in the Shutdown box with a -c “Your text” switch.

Remove Search Box in Internet Explorer 7

If you use a third-party toolbar that has a search box or simply never use the search box in Internet Explorer 7 follow these steps to remove the search box from Internet Explorer:

- Start up Registry Editor.
- Navigate through HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Policies, Microsoft and Internet Explorer.
- Create a new key in Internet Explorer called InfoDelivery.
- Create a new key in InfoDelivery called Restrictions.
- Inside Restrictions, create a new DWORD and call it NoSearchBox.
- Set the value of NoSearchBox to1.
- Restart.

If you ever want to restore your search box, set the value of NoSearchBox to 0 and restart.

Note:
The Microsoft Registry Editor (regedit.exe) enables you to view, search for, and change settings in your system registry, which contains information about how your computer runs.
Use Registry Editor with care.Making incorrect changes can damage your system.